Democracy in Rwanda: taking part

25 min

A Tuesday meeting

In November 2023 the City of Kigali asked residents at their Inteko z'abaturage, the citizens' assemblies held in every neighbourhood, to suggest what the city should plan for the 2024–2025 financial year. The city explained that the assemblies, which it said met every Tuesday, are one of Rwanda's home-grown solutions: a place where the community discusses government programmes and solves pressing local problems together.

Think about it: when did someone last ask the people of your village or neighbourhood what the government should build next year? This lesson looks at the ways Rwandans take part in democracy, from the village meeting to the national election.

Definition

Participation: citizens taking an active part in public decisions: voting, attending meetings, giving their views, working on shared projects and checking that leaders keep their promises. Example: a resident raising the problem of a broken water pipe at a citizens' assembly.

Definition

Inteko z'abaturage: (singular Inteko y'abaturage) citizens' assemblies: regular public meetings of the residents of a cell or village with their local leaders, where problems are raised, government programmes explained and solutions agreed. Example: an assembly at which residents propose projects for the district's plan.

Definition

Imihigo: (singular umuhigo, from guhiga, "to vow") performance contracts: public promises by leaders to reach specific targets in a year, which are later evaluated. In old Rwanda, a warrior would publicly vow to achieve a great deed and was honoured or shamed by the result. Example: a district's promise to connect a number of households to electricity by the end of the year.

Definition

Umudugudu: (plural imidugudu) the village, the smallest unit of local life in Rwanda. There are 14,837 of them. Example: voters register on the voters' register of their own umudugudu.

The Constitution and the National Electoral Commission

The Constitution. Rwanda's Constitution was adopted by referendum in 2003 and revised by a second referendum on 18 December 2015 (Article 177). It says that all power derives from Rwandans (Article 1), that suffrage is universal, equal and secret (Article 2), and that the state is committed to "a pluralistic democratic Government", to equality between women and men, with women holding at least 30 percent of positions in decision-making organs, and to "the constant quest for solutions through dialogue and consensus" (Article 10). A further amendment, published in 2023, allowed presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on the same day.
The National Electoral Commission (NEC). It was set up by a law of 28 November 2000 and is named in the Constitution (Article 139). The NEC describes itself as independent and autonomous in organising elections and publishing results. It runs local, legislative and presidential elections and referendums, draws up electoral areas, keeps the voters' register, and runs civic and voter education. On 15 July 2024, for the first time, Rwandans voted for the President and for 53 members of the Chamber of Deputies on the same day.

Figure 3. Democracy from Athens to Rwanda today. The axis is broken between 300 BCE and 1850 CE; each part is drawn to its own scale. Drawn by Ganzaa.

Taking part between elections

Elections happen every few years. Rwanda also has regular forums where citizens can take part in between. Figure 4 shows the main ones at each level.

Figure 4. Taking part at every level. Citizens' ideas are meant to travel up, and leaders are meant to report back down. Drawn by Ganzaa.

Forum	Who takes part and when	What happens
Umudugudu meetings	residents of a village; for example, after umuganda, the community work held on the last Saturday of each month from 8:00 to 11:00	local leaders share information, and residents discuss village needs, plans and problems
Inteko z'abaturage	residents of a cell or village with their local leaders, regularly (the City of Kigali reported weekly meetings, on Tuesdays)	citizens raise problems, leaders explain progress and answer questions, and priorities are gathered for planning
Imihigo	district mayors and other public leaders, each year, since 2006	leaders sign public performance contracts with targets, which are evaluated at the end of the year and the results published
National Umushyikirano Council	the President of the Republic and citizens' representatives, at least once a year (Article 140)	debates on the state of the nation and national unity; its resolutions go to institutions to improve their services
Elections and referendums	all registered voters aged 18 and over	citizens choose leaders at local and national level, and decide great questions such as the Constitution

Worked example: how much say do citizens have in Imihigo?

What is the design? The first Imihigo were signed publicly on 4 April 2006 by the President and district mayors. Districts are meant to build their targets from citizens' priorities, gathered for example in citizens' assemblies, and to share the targets with residents. Results are evaluated every year.
What did an independent evaluation find? The Institute of Policy Analysis and Research-Rwanda (IPAR), which evaluated the 2014–2015 Imihigo, reported more involvement of citizens in carrying out Imihigo and higher satisfaction with services, but also that citizens' participation in planning the targets was still limited.
What did a second study look at? In 2018 the Rwandan organisation Never Again Rwanda published a study on the factors that lead to low citizen participation in the local Imihigo process.
Weigh the evidence. Both studies come from Rwandan research organisations and agree on the main point: the system gives citizens real channels to take part and to hold leaders to account, but many citizens use them less in planning than in carrying out.
Conclusion. Participation depends on the design of the system and on citizens using it. A good answer to "how democratic is it?" looks at both.

Important

Rwanda's Constitution (2003, revised by referendum in 2015) states that all power derives from Rwandans and commits the state to pluralistic democracy, equality of women and men (at least 30% women in decision-making organs) and solutions through dialogue and consensus.
The National Electoral Commission organises elections and referendums; voters must be 18 and register in their village.
Between elections, citizens take part through umudugudu meetings, Inteko z'abaturage, Imihigo and the National Umushyikirano Council.

Tip

Memory hook: "Vote, Voice, Vow, Verify".Vote in elections; raise your voice in citizens' assemblies; leaders make public vows (Imihigo); citizens verify that the vows are kept.

National Electoral Commission of Rwanda: "Voting process at the presidential and parliamentary elections". An official one-minute film showing the steps a voter follows at the polling station. List the steps as you watch.

Discussion

Class discussion: You are not yet old enough to vote. Name three ways in which a Senior 1 student can already take part in the life of the school, the village or the country. Which of the six principles of democracy from lesson 2 does each one support?

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Practice

In which year was Rwanda's Constitution revised by referendum, and on what date?
Which institution organises elections and referendums in Rwanda? Name two of its tasks.
What are Inteko z'abaturage?
What does the word Imihigo come from, and what are Imihigo today?
What is the National Umushyikirano Council, and how often must it meet?
The Senate has 26 members. Under Article 10, what is the smallest number of senators who must be women?
Explain how Imihigo can make leaders more accountable to citizens.
Evaluate: "Voting once every five years is enough to make a country democratic." Use examples from Rwanda.

Show answersHide answers

2015, on 18 December.
The National Electoral Commission (NEC). Any two: organising local, legislative and presidential elections and referendums; drawing up electoral areas; keeping the voters' register; voter education; publishing results.
Citizens' assemblies: regular public meetings where residents and local leaders discuss problems and government programmes and agree on solutions.
From guhiga, to vow: in old Rwanda warriors publicly vowed to achieve great deeds. Today they are yearly performance contracts in which leaders publicly promise targets that are then evaluated.
A council that brings together the President and citizens' representatives to debate the state of the nation and national unity; it meets at least once a year (Article 140).
30% of 26 is $0.3 \times 26 = 7.8$ , so at least 8 senators.
Leaders promise specific targets in public, the results are evaluated and published, and citizens can see whether promises were kept and question leaders who fall short.
Not enough on its own: democracy also needs participation, accountability and rights between elections. In Rwanda, citizens also take part through umudugudu meetings, Inteko z'abaturage, Imihigo and the Umushyikirano; evaluations show such forums matter but only work well if citizens use them.

1A Tuesday meeting

2The Constitution and the National Electoral Commission

3Taking part between elections

4Discussion

A Tuesday meeting

The Constitution and the National Electoral Commission

Taking part between elections

Discussion